When a wireless communication network is deployed or is planned for deployment, it is necessary to perform radio frequency (RF) measurement surveys in order to verify the performance of the deployed network and/or to obtain a proper characterization of the existing RF environment of the network. To accomplish this task, the survey designer must first define the survey scope, a field technician must perform the data collection covering the survey scope for the survey designer, and the survey designer must then perform an analysis of the acquired data in order to determine the validity and completeness of the survey. Because measurement surveys can be prone to error for a number of reasons (i.e. hardware error, inconsistent methodology, etc.), this process is often cyclic, time-consuming, and expensive.
Today, site-surveys typically require a field RF technician or engineer to analyze the acquired data and/or assist in the measurement survey data acquisition process. The RF technician participates in the survey or post analyses process to ensure that a complete survey is obtained which sufficiently characterizes the RF environment. However, existing methods are prone to error even when an RF engineer is involved in the process. Field technicians rarely have the level of RF experience required to analyze the validity of collected data as the survey is being taken. In addition, it is costly to have the RF Engineer spend time on-site manually performing the survey and analysis. Despite these issues, a better solution is not readily available.
Current survey methods require that analysis of the collected data (including validity checks) and determination of the completeness of the measurement survey occur only after the survey has been performed and often at a different location (wherever the RF Engineer may be located). Due to the sometimes overwhelming amount of data that is needed for a complete survey, the high cost of survey cycles, and the sensitivity of measurement surveys to invalid measurements, measurement campaigns are sometimes accepted as being complete when more data is actually desired but too costly or time consuming to pursue.
Therefore, a need exists for a process which will reduce the number of survey acquisition and analysis cycles required in order to produce highly accurate measurements of a given RF environment.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are typically not depicted or described in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention.